“Contempt for out-groups—those members of society that are identified as “not like me”—is as old as time. But for all the awareness of bias, hate crimes, and prejudice against minorities, some get overlooked. Atheists are the most mistrusted, reviled, and disliked minority in the United States, according to numerous studies. Jews, African Americans, homosexuals, illegal immigrants, and even the much-mistrusted Muslim communities are all held in higher regard by the average American than are Atheists. The threat of spiritual alienation is more compelling than anything other than immediate injury.

It may be surprising that we Americans are more suspicious of atheists than we are of Muslims, but there you have it! Bias works in mysterious ways. Gad Saad’s blog post last year1 (Atheists Are the Most Mistrusted Group: They Are Evil and Immoral!) cast a bright light on a 2006 study published2 (but previously largely unnoticed) by researchers from the University of Minnesota.”

“Contempt for out-groups—those members of society that are identified as “not like me”—is as old as time. But for all the awareness of bias, hate crimes, and prejudice against minorities, some get overlooked. Atheists are the most mistrusted, reviled, and disliked minority in the United States, according to numerous studies. Jews, African Americans, homosexuals, illegal immigrants, and even the much-mistrusted Muslim communities are all held in higher regard by the average American than are Atheists. The threat of spiritual alienation is more compelling than anything other than immediate injury.

It may be surprising that we Americans are more suspicious of atheists than we are of Muslims, but there you have it! Bias works in mysterious ways. Gad Saad’s blog post last year1 (Atheists Are the Most Mistrusted Group: They Are Evil and Immoral!)cast a bright light on a 2006 study published2 (but previously largely unnoticed) by researchers from the University of Minnesota.”

Can you give me their addresses… I think I need to move.
Never been in trouble with the law. Never ate babies….well not a whole one at one time.
I tend to bite the heads of my jelly babies first.

I have never hated Christians…. Does that mean I cannot join?

I think the world is evil and immoral do you think the Christians see it that way?

You either have a belief or you do not have a belief.
But the one good thing about Christians…. they don’t put their atheists to death.
Let’s face it…. being made to live morally is not the same as having your head cut off for being caught in adultery or being homosexual. They are kittens compared to the other tigers in the cat family of religion.

If religion takes over the world then I want to be a slave to the Christians.
At least we will get fed and saved from the other heretics.

“Contempt for out-groups—those members of society that are identified as “not like me”—is as old as time. But for all the awareness of bias, hate crimes, and prejudice against minorities, some get overlooked. Atheists are the most mistrusted, reviled, and disliked minority in the United States, according to numerous studies. Jews, African Americans, homosexuals, illegal immigrants, and even the much-mistrusted Muslim communities are all held in higher regard by the average American than are Atheists. The threat of spiritual alienation is more compelling than anything other than immediate injury.

It may be surprising that we Americans are more suspicious of atheists than we are of Muslims, but there you have it! Bias works in mysterious ways. Gad Saad’s blog post last year1 (Atheists Are the Most Mistrusted Group: They Are Evil and Immoral!)cast a bright light on a 2006 study published2 (but previously largely unnoticed) by researchers from the University of Minnesota.”

Can you give me their addresses… I think I need to move.
Never been in trouble with the law. Never ate babies….well not a whole one at one time.
I tend to bite the heads of my jelly babies first.

This was a study done by researchers at the University of Minnesota. Are you asking for the addresses of Christians that are suspicious of Atheist? If you ask ANY conservative Chrisitan, that is Bible Believing, Born Again, if they are honest, they will tell you how much they mistrust and indeed have contempt for Atheists.

I have never hated Christians…. Does that mean I cannot join?

Join what?

I think the world is evil and immoral do you think the Christians see it that way?

Chistians see the world as inherently and fundamentally evil and sinful, under God’s condemnation and doomed to destruction at the hand of an angry God. That is not my view of the world.

You either have a belief or you do not have a belief.
But the one good thing about Christians…. they don’t put their atheists to death.
Let’s face it…. being made to live morally is not the same as having your head cut off for being caught in adultery or being homosexual. They are kittens compared to the other tigers in the cat family of religion.

Had you lived during the time of the Spanish Inquisition or just about any time prior to the modern era in nearly any country you can name that is predominently Christian and if you were an atheist or a heretic you would indeed have been put to death. Oh, and also tortured first. I wouldn’t be so quick to lable Christians kittens. Being made to live morally according to WHOSE morals? I doubt you would want to live under a Christian Theocracy, say like the one in Calvin’s Geneva. The only reason Christians are faux-kittens now is because they to no now, in this country at this time in history weld the power of the sword (civil government). If they did and you were an atheist it would not be long before you were emprisoned or killed. Just look at history.

If religion takes over the world then I want to be a slave to the Christians.
At least we will get fed and saved from the other heretics.

I used to think atheists were the group the christians hated the most, but after discussing religion with christians for years I realized that they have even more hatred for their fellow christians who don’t believe everything they believe. After the christians finish dealing with the atheists(if they have any to deal with) they go after other theists and tell them they are going to hell just like the atheists are. I guess they want lots of people in hell so they’ll have something to keep them entertained with the “wailing and gnashing of teeth” while they(the “good” christians) spend eternity in Heaven.

I used to think atheists were the group the christians hated the most, but after discussing religion with christians for years I realized that they have even more hatred for their fellow christians who don’t believe everything they believe.

Yup. Familiarity breeds contempt.

The nature of the beast (human) is to tribalize—to grab a flag and rally round it, so to speak. Religion is the Great Validator and
Justifier (of the Dark Side—we don’t tend to feel any need to justify or validate good behavior), which enables and exacerbates the tendency, being that it requires alienating and generally thinking ill of our fellow humans for no good (or even actual) reason at all. So when believers consider a poll question about their own religion they’re typically thinking My Religion/My People and claiming the entire population of those who identify themselves by the same religious heading—there’s security in numbers, particular for those who have no valid justification for what they believe. However, if you turn right around and, on the next poll question, ask about some contentious point of doctrine that sets their particular franchise apart from the others, suddenly their religious Home Team can barely muster a full first string roster and it’s all set upon and persecuted and the worst offenders are the “pretend” or “lukewarm” believers from same-named religious franchises.

We human types conceptually shift quite quickly and fluidly back and forth regarding what they consider the population of Our People/True Believers™, and religion lubricates the gears that allow us to do it. They’re the huge majority for purposes of law and the religious affiliation of the nation, but they also value being set upon and persecuted, so they’re a small, embattled group for those purposes. We atheists tend to do the same thing, only we don’t have such a range of numbers to work with—we can kinda reasonably work between ~4% and ~15%, whereas many fundy types may try to work with a range from ~90%+ to ~4% or so.

- Feeding a troll just gives it a platform and amplifies its voice.

—

Reason is to understanding as theory is to music, and critical thinking as mastery of performance.

“We say, ‘Love your brother.’ We don’t say it really, but… well we don’t literally say it. We don’t really, literally mean it. No, we don’t believe it either. But that message should be clear.”—David St. Hubbins/Nigel Tufnel

8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
Revelation 21:8 (New American Standard Bible)

It remains not only permissible for today’s Christians to hate, but they can read holy decrees and formal announcements about the actual necessity for them to hate. Plenty of other verses can be found. Christians are also encouraged to hate Jews in the New Testament. People who see a collection of writings as being holy and true in every meaningful sense, have documented evidence that commands them to hate.

And these people get the big tax break. [insert emoticon that suits your sense of head-shaking disappointment here.]

Philosophy may in no way interfere with the actual use of language; it can in the end only describe it. For it cannot give it any foundations either. It leaves everything as it is.
Ludwig Wittgenstein